Suncare legislation
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Consumers will benefit from a new clearer labelling regime on sunscreen bottles. The new labels are a response to a Commission recommendation on sunscreen products adopted in September 2006.
Under the recommendation:
Claims such as "sunblock" or "100% protection" or "all day prevention" should not be used any more. Despite frequent claims like "sunblocker" and "total protection", no sunscreen products can provide for a full protection against UV radiation.
Standardised verbal descriptors ("low" - "medium" - "high" and "very high" protection) should be used alongside traditional SPF (sun protection factor indicators) to provide guidance for the choice of the appropriate sunscreen product.
SPF
Low
Medium
High
Very High
6
10
15
20
25
30
50
50+
Approved SPF values and corresponding categories of protection
Sunscreen products should be sufficiently effective against UVB and UVA radiation to ensure a high protection of public health. To this end, a sunscreen product should provide a minimum UVB and UVA protection. An increased sun protection factor (i.e. mainly UVB protection) should include an increase in the UVA protection as well. Therefore, the protection against UVA and UVB radiation should be related. Scientific findings show that certain biological damage to the skin can be prevented and reduced if the ratio of the protection factor measured in the persistent pigment darkening test (i.e. addressing mainly UVA radiation) is at least 1/3 of the factor measured by the sun protection factor testing method (i.e. addressing mainly UVB radiation). Moreover, in order to ensure a broad protection, dermatologists recommend a critical wavelength of at least 370 nm.
| Category |
Labelled sun protection factor |
Measured sun protection factor |
Recommended Minimum UVA |
Recommended minimum critical wavelength |
| Low Protection |
6 |
6-9.9 |
1/3 of the sun protection factor |
370 nm |
|
10 |
10-14.9 |
|||
| Medium Protection |
15 |
15-19.9 |
||
|
20 |
20-24.9 |
|||
|
25 |
25-29.9 |
|||
| High Protection |
30 |
30-49.9 |
||
|
50 |
50-59.9 |
|||
|
Very High Protection |
50+ |
60? |
Other measures include:
- Sunscreen products should display warnings indicating that they do not provide 100 % protection and advice on precautions to be observed in addition to their use.
- Sunscreen products should carry instructions for use that will ensure that the claim made for the effectiveness of the product can be achieved.
- Sunscreen products should carry instructions for use to ensure that a sufficient quantity is applied on the skin to achieve the effectiveness claimed for the product. This may be done, for example, by indicating the quantity required through a pictogram, an illustration or a measurement device.
To Learn more
Colipa - Suncare Recommendation
Colipa - Guidelines for in-vitro determination of UVA protection